Music veteran Stanek proving kids¿¿¿ songs can rock

January 03, 2011|Chad Mearns

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For nearly 15 years, Cambria County native Gerry Stanek made a living playing rock n’ roll. He played with artists such as Pittsburgh’s Norman Nardini and the nationally touring, Epic Records-signed band The Lost. He toured constantly, opening at venues across the country for acts such as The Ramones and The Black Crowes.

Next weekend, however, he will perform for a much different crowd at the Johnstown Children’s Museum in the Johnstown Area Heritage Association Heritage Discovery Center.

Stanek — or, rather, his alter-ego Roy Handy — will deliver the afternoon concert for kids Jan. 15, temporarily abandoning his typical catalog of rockers and ballads for songs about socks, blankets and kitties in space.

“It’s very simple — it’s rock n’ roll for kids,” Stanek said, explaining the premise behind his Roy Handy and the Moonshot side project. “It’s got guitar and drums, and it’s a bit loud, but it fills a void.”

Stanek cashed in his rock career nearly a decade ago, trading tour buses and sound checks for a wife, family and a home in Hastings.

He continued to dabble with music, writing and recording his own material and achieving national attention briefly in 2008 with his tongue-in-cheek love song, “I’m in Love with a Girl Called Sarah Palin.”

But with a pair of toddlers at home, Stanek found himself making up goofy ditties for the benefit of his two children. Last January, he committed to recording 11 of the songs in a frenzied 16-day recording session with the help of Johnstown musicians Ken Deater on drums and Wil Fine on bass.

In April, he released Roy Handy and the Moonshot’s debut CD, “(I’m Gonna Be) Your Best Friend,” available on iTunes and at Amazon.com.

With only a smattering of live shows to support the album beyond an enthusiastic July romp at the Roxbury Bandshell, response to the album has been greater than he expected.

“I think I did three or four records as Gerry Stanek beyond the Sarah Palin thing. It was incredibly difficult to get anyone to write about that stuff or pay attention to it,” he said.

“But with the Roy Handy thing, I’ve had at least a dozen glowing reviews — and some of them from some pretty influential web sites.”

Writing and performing as Roy Handy has also brought out Stanek’s light-hearted side, he said.

“I like to say that part of the magic of taking on the pseudonym is that Roy brought out my fun gene,” he said. “I love getting on the kids’ level, so taking on the Roy Handy moniker allowed me to do that, to be silly, have fun and not worry about it.”

The album has been compared to the work of artists ranging from Neil Young to Weezer — a trait Stanek knows will help lure parents as well as kids.

“Parents are going to want to play music for their kids, but they’ll want it to be at least not horrible for the parents,” he said.

Stanek’s set of kid-friendly indie rock tunes — dubbed “kindie rock” by one reviewer — does more than that, according to JAHA marketing manager Shelley Johansson.

“There’s a real appealing wit and charm that really appeals to grown-ups as well as children,” she said. “The humor and warmth in Roy’s music is something that appeals to all ages.”

The concert will be held at 2:30 p.m. Jan. 15. Admission is free to JAHA members or with museum admission.